COVID-19 crisis: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese forced to respond at emergency national cabinet meeting

Australians with COVID-19 will once again receive a $750 a week pandemic payment with the Prime Minister to sign off on the temporary scheme at a rushed forward emergency national cabinet meeting on Saturday.

Anthony Albanese has succumb to pressure to restore the isolation payment over winter — backflipping on his earlier stance after receiving an urgent briefing on the escalating COVID-19 crisis.

On Friday night, the Prime Minister announced Monday’s national cabinet meeting would be brought forward by two days, where he will agree to reinstate the pandemic payments amid calls from State leaders and his own backbenchers.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly briefed Mr Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler via teleconference on Friday on the current Omicron wave and predicted cases over the winter period, after the Prime Minister spent the past three days in Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum.

It was at this meeting Mr Albanese decided to bring the virtual national cabinet meeting with premiers and chief ministers forward to first thing Saturday morning.

“(Dr Kelly) will report to national cabinet tomorrow morning and we will discuss proposals to ensure the vulnerable are protected over coming weeks,” Mr Albanese tweeted on Friday night.

It comes as WA hit another daily record for the number of West Australians in hospital with the virus — 333, compared to 329 on Thursday.

Across the country, more than 43,000 new infections have been recorded in the past day.

There are also major concerns in aged care homes with more than 800 outbreaks in facilities across the country.

Earlier, after receiving a briefing from Australia’s top doctor, Mr Albanese said the COVID pandemic was not over and Australians should continue to act in accordance with the health advice.

“The Government will continue to address issues based upon the health advice that we have received,” he said.

“We want to keep the economy open and the key to that is limiting the health impact on Australians.”

On Thursday, the Prime Minister was forced to agree to the unscheduled national cabinet meeting via teleconference on Monday, after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called for an urgent update from Dr Kelly.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk texted me a few days ago. I’ve obviously been here,” Mr Albanese said before departing Fiji on Friday morning.

“She suggested we have a gathering. It’s appropriate that we meet on Monday. We’re not meeting today because I’m here.”

The Labor leader has come under fire in recent weeks for the amount of time he has spent overseas since becoming the Prime Minister in May, while Australians deal with floods, COVID and cost-of-living back home.

In the 55 days he has been in office, 19 of those have been abroad.

“Everyone has been worried about the pandemic over the past couple of years and we’ll deal with these issues... in a practical way,” he said.

“Australians have been magnificent. They’re resilient. We’re having a discussion on Monday.”

The first time national cabinet met under Mr Albanese’s leadership was in June with the group agreeing to meet at least four times a year with the next being before the Federal Budget in October.

Also on the agenda for Saturday’s meeting is how to respond to the increase in COVID cases in the coming weeks, and addressing calls to extend free RAT tests for concessions card holders.

Mr Albanese was adamant the $750 a week pandemic payment would not return after ending on June 30, due to the pressure it puts on the budget.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff as well as Labor backbenchers were not having a bar of it, saying the payments needed to be extended to help with the fresh Omicron wave.

Mr Butler said his government was closely monitoring the COVID situation — after predicting “millions” more Australians will contract the virus within weeks — and indicated large pay outs needed to end, just as mandates had.

Acting Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Mr Albanese’s backflip on the payments follows a week of pressure from the Coalition.

“Casual workers were hurting most from Labor’s inaction, putting women disproportionately at risk,” Ms Ley said.

“As late as this afternoon, Government ministers were arguing there was no room in the budget to fund these measures. Now late on a Friday the Government has caved to pressure.

“It took universal criticism for the Prime Minister to act, days too late. Mr Albanese owes an apology to the tens of thousands of Australians who have faced stress and uncertainty in recent weeks following his decision to end those payments.”